wong kar-wai, shooting the instant koldo almandoz
"It is restless moment she has kept her hand lowered, to give him a chance to come closer. But he could not, for lack of courage. She turns and walks away".
With these words does the director Wong Kar-wai begin his latest film: In the mood for love. And these words actually sum up what this film will make us feel quite beautifully; that slippery moment when desire and doubt coincide. Hong Kong when he was six years old. He was fascinated by the chaos he found there. Cities full of skyscrapers whose windows are decorated by full and fluttering clotheslines can do that kind of thing to you. He started work in T.V as a scriptwriter when he finished his studies in graphic design. He then decided to take the jump from writing on paper to placing images on the screen. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of the likes of John Cassavettes, Scorseese and Truffaut. Hong Kong dreaming
His first film was “As tears go by” in 1988. It could be classed as belonging to the genre of those films on mafias and triads shot exclusively in Hong Kong. But in this, his opera prima, he showed a far greater interest in the sentimental and existential motivations that urged on the fighters and mobsters rather that in the action itself. Movie-goers in Hong Kong lapped it up and loved it, much to the contrary of what the producers of the film had expected. His next film, “Days of beeing wild” (1990), didn’t see much of a change in style. 1993 was the year that wong Kar-wai set filmmaking in Honk Kong on its head. That was the year that his stunning “Chungking Express” was premiered. This film, set in the bee-hive that makes up Hong-kong, tells us of the ups and downs of four characters in two stories. The only violence on show in these two stories is the inner world of four people who get lost in everyday life. And The Mamas and The Papas’ song California dreaming. The song is heard over and over again throughout the two stories. The characters here, just like those to be found in Kiewloski’s trilogy, are linked together in the smallest way, but the instant where they meet and sees their lives irreversibly changed just never happens.
His next few films didn’t have the same kind of success as “Chungking Express”. All the same, in “Ashes of time” (1994), “Fallen Angels” (1995) and “Happy together” (1997) he kept highlighting his favourite themes: the passing of time, memory and identity. Wong Kar-wai managed to bunch all his obsessions together in his last piece of work titled “In the Mood for Love” (2000). Every moment, every second is filled with a special strength and intensity. Wong Kar-wai used the same slow camera style and rhythmical editing that was evident in his earlier work to film this love story set in Hong Kong in the 60s. Rhythm just oozes out of this film. Bolero rhythm. He completely wraps us up in the world of desire and doubts created by the characters.
The textures of time
The use of colour, the deepness of the image and the composition of the elements are extremely important in each and every scene in his movies. He affords a special texture to his work by combining these different elements. Sometimes dirtier, clearer or sometimes more deteriorated, but always more... He also steers clear of the Neo-Aristotle type structure of presentation, twists and turns and end. The characters in his stories are always lost, waiting for what they don’t know what to happen. To underline this he bases the structure of his stories on the Japanese concept known as Mono no aware. "We don’t know where life leads us, but it always forms a circle". That’s why when we watch his films we always feel that that instant that will change our lives is nearer than we think, even though we don’t know if that moment will ever arrive...
The melody of a look
We can’t begin to talk of way Wong Kar-wai visually perceives things without paying attention to what filters in through our ears. He co writes the soundtracks for his films with the musician Michael Galasso. The scores are based on repetition and he infuses a new meaning into the story with each repetition. He decorates the skyline of Hong Kong with “California dreaming” or Nat King Cole’s boleros “Aquellos Ojos Verdes” or “Quizas, quizas, quizas”. This eclectic use of music not only helps to create a special atmosphere, but it also shows us that we are privilege to a special type of cinema. It gets away from clichés. Hong Kong films of Hong Kong stories made for all the world to watch. Personal and special. We don’t know what type of music he’s been listening to for inspiration for his next film, but we’ll be all ears as well as eyes when the time comes.
With these words does the director Wong Kar-wai begin his latest film: In the mood for love. And these words actually sum up what this film will make us feel quite beautifully; that slippery moment when desire and doubt coincide. Hong Kong when he was six years old. He was fascinated by the chaos he found there. Cities full of skyscrapers whose windows are decorated by full and fluttering clotheslines can do that kind of thing to you. He started work in T.V as a scriptwriter when he finished his studies in graphic design. He then decided to take the jump from writing on paper to placing images on the screen. He wanted to follow in the footsteps of the likes of John Cassavettes, Scorseese and Truffaut. Hong Kong dreaming
His first film was “As tears go by” in 1988. It could be classed as belonging to the genre of those films on mafias and triads shot exclusively in Hong Kong. But in this, his opera prima, he showed a far greater interest in the sentimental and existential motivations that urged on the fighters and mobsters rather that in the action itself. Movie-goers in Hong Kong lapped it up and loved it, much to the contrary of what the producers of the film had expected. His next film, “Days of beeing wild” (1990), didn’t see much of a change in style. 1993 was the year that wong Kar-wai set filmmaking in Honk Kong on its head. That was the year that his stunning “Chungking Express” was premiered. This film, set in the bee-hive that makes up Hong-kong, tells us of the ups and downs of four characters in two stories. The only violence on show in these two stories is the inner world of four people who get lost in everyday life. And The Mamas and The Papas’ song California dreaming. The song is heard over and over again throughout the two stories. The characters here, just like those to be found in Kiewloski’s trilogy, are linked together in the smallest way, but the instant where they meet and sees their lives irreversibly changed just never happens.
His next few films didn’t have the same kind of success as “Chungking Express”. All the same, in “Ashes of time” (1994), “Fallen Angels” (1995) and “Happy together” (1997) he kept highlighting his favourite themes: the passing of time, memory and identity. Wong Kar-wai managed to bunch all his obsessions together in his last piece of work titled “In the Mood for Love” (2000). Every moment, every second is filled with a special strength and intensity. Wong Kar-wai used the same slow camera style and rhythmical editing that was evident in his earlier work to film this love story set in Hong Kong in the 60s. Rhythm just oozes out of this film. Bolero rhythm. He completely wraps us up in the world of desire and doubts created by the characters.
The textures of time
The use of colour, the deepness of the image and the composition of the elements are extremely important in each and every scene in his movies. He affords a special texture to his work by combining these different elements. Sometimes dirtier, clearer or sometimes more deteriorated, but always more... He also steers clear of the Neo-Aristotle type structure of presentation, twists and turns and end. The characters in his stories are always lost, waiting for what they don’t know what to happen. To underline this he bases the structure of his stories on the Japanese concept known as Mono no aware. "We don’t know where life leads us, but it always forms a circle". That’s why when we watch his films we always feel that that instant that will change our lives is nearer than we think, even though we don’t know if that moment will ever arrive...
The melody of a look
We can’t begin to talk of way Wong Kar-wai visually perceives things without paying attention to what filters in through our ears. He co writes the soundtracks for his films with the musician Michael Galasso. The scores are based on repetition and he infuses a new meaning into the story with each repetition. He decorates the skyline of Hong Kong with “California dreaming” or Nat King Cole’s boleros “Aquellos Ojos Verdes” or “Quizas, quizas, quizas”. This eclectic use of music not only helps to create a special atmosphere, but it also shows us that we are privilege to a special type of cinema. It gets away from clichés. Hong Kong films of Hong Kong stories made for all the world to watch. Personal and special. We don’t know what type of music he’s been listening to for inspiration for his next film, but we’ll be all ears as well as eyes when the time comes.
